Aztecs

SOUTH BEND -- Seated on the edge of an aluminum bench on the San Diego State sideline, sophomore running back Brandon Sullivan had no desire to see the final seconds slip away on what might have been. He stared at the Notre Dame Stadium turf. He fidgeted with his sweat-soaked black gloves. He closed his eyes. He glanced up at the clock, then stared off to the west, right into a setting sun. Only when the final horn had sounded, and massive cheers rolled down from the top of Notre Dame Stadium, did Sullivan make a move.

SOUTH BEND -- At least Notre Dame didn't have to worry about the new, almost-smothering interpretation of the excessive celebration penalty Saturday. The Irish opened the 2008 season and the 400th game in Notre Dame Stadium history with an uneasy 21-13 victory over a young and battered San Diego State team, a win that created more questions than assertions, including a query that befuddled Aztec head coach Chuck Long. "It's hard to say who's better," said Long, dead serious, when asked if Notre Dame or the FCS Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo squad that nipped the Aztecs, 29-27, last weekend was the superior squad.

SOUTH BEND -- This wasnÂ?t good enough. DonÂ?t mistake your relief for joy. DonÂ?t rationalize what you witnessed with nonsense about this being a typical first-game performance. On Saturday afternoon, Notre Dame beat San Diego State 21-13. The Irish didnÂ?t lead in the game until just under 10 minutes remained in the fourth quarter. Only a goal-line fumble a couple of minutes before kept the visiting Aztecs from locking it up. Still happy with the teamÂ?s heart?

SOUTH BEND -- A year ago, Notre Dame suffered through a miserable 33-3 season-opening loss to Georgia Tech, a loss that set the tone for a 3-9 season. This year, what would appear to be a much easier date with San Diego State awaits. "We need to get out of the gate fast," Irish coach Charlie Weis said Tuesday. Getting out of the gate fast wasn't something the Aztecs were able to do. San Diego State lost its opener to Cal Poly, 29-27, Saturday night. Â?We have a lot of football ahead of us,Â?

COLLEGE FOOTBALL Aztecs can coach Craft San Diego State football coach Tom Craft was fired Monday after four seasons in which his Aztecs failed to post a winning record. The school called an afternoon news conference to announce the firing. A school official confirmed Craft's dismissal to The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because it hadn't been officially announced. Craft, who had one year left on his contract, was 19-29 in four seasons. His best finish was 6-6 in 2003.

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Scientists were fascinated by the ghostly find: a human skeleton buried in an Aztec temple with a clay, skull-shaped whistle in each bony hand. But no one blew into the noisemakers for nearly 15 years. When someone finally did, the shrill, windy screech made the spine tingle. If death had a sound, this was it. Roberto Velazquez believes the Aztecs played this mournful wail from the so-called Whistles of Death before they were sacrificed to the gods. The 66-year-old mechanical engineer has devoted his career to re-creating the sounds of his pre-Columbian ancestors, producing hundreds of replicas of whistles, flutes and wind instruments unearthed in Mexico's ruins.

SOUTH BEND -- This wasn't good enough. Don't mistake your relief for joy. Don't rationalize what you witnessed with nonsense about this being a typical first-game performance. On Saturday afternoon, Notre Dame beat San Diego State 21-13. The Irish didn't lead in the game until just under 10 minutes remained in the fourth quarter. Only a goal-line fumble a couple of minutes before kept the visiting Aztecs from locking it up. Still happy with the team's heart? With its resilience? Don't be. Instead, try this on and see how it fits you: After the game, San Diego State coach Chuck Long was asked which team he thought was better, Notre Dame or Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, his team's first-week opponent.

SOUTH BEND -- At least Notre Dame didn't have to worry about the new, almost-smothering interpretation of the excessive celebration penalty Saturday. The Irish opened the 2008 season and the 400th game in Notre Dame Stadium history with an uneasy 21-13 victory over a young and battered San Diego State team, a win that created more questions than assertions, including a query that befuddled Aztec head coach Chuck Long. "It's hard to say who's better," said Long, dead serious, when asked if Notre Dame or the FCS Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo squad that nipped the Aztecs, 29-27, last weekend was the superior squad.

SOUTH BEND -- Seated on the edge of an aluminum bench on the San Diego State sideline, sophomore running back Brandon Sullivan had no desire to see the final seconds slip away on what might have been. He stared at the Notre Dame Stadium turf. He fidgeted with his sweat-soaked black gloves. He closed his eyes. He glanced up at the clock, then stared off to the west, right into a setting sun. Only when the final horn had sounded, and massive cheers rolled down from the top of Notre Dame Stadium, did Sullivan make a move.

SOUTH BEND -- A year ago, Notre Dame suffered through a miserable 33-3 season-opening loss to Georgia Tech, a loss that set the tone for a 3-9 season. This year, what would appear to be a much easier date with San Diego State awaits. "We need to get out of the gate fast," Irish coach Charlie Weis said Tuesday. Getting out of the gate fast wasn't something the Aztecs were able to do. San Diego State lost its opener to Cal Poly, 29-27, Saturday night. Â?We have a lot of football ahead of us,Â?

Replacing a well-known predecessor at quarterback isnÂ?t unusual on the college football landscape this fall. Chris Crane drew the assignment of following Matt Ryan at Boston College. MichiganÂ?s Steven Threet is lining up at the spot that Chad Henne owned for the previous four seasons. But Ryan LindleyÂ?s task is as daunting as any of them. Lindley, named San Diego StateÂ?s likely starting quarterback heading into fall camp and officially named the starter two weeks in, is replacing the graduated Kevin OÂ?

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Scientists were fascinated by the ghostly find: a human skeleton buried in an Aztec temple with a clay, skull-shaped whistle in each bony hand. But no one blew into the noisemakers for nearly 15 years. When someone finally did, the shrill, windy screech made the spine tingle. If death had a sound, this was it. Roberto Velazquez believes the Aztecs played this mournful wail from the so-called Whistles of Death before they were sacrificed to the gods. The 66-year-old mechanical engineer has devoted his career to re-creating the sounds of his pre-Columbian ancestors, producing hundreds of replicas of whistles, flutes and wind instruments unearthed in Mexico's ruins.

San Diego State expects an advantage in facing Indiana in the NCAA men's basketball tournament Thursday night in Salt Lake City. The Atzecs play at the 15,000-seat Huntsman Center annually against Mountain West Conference foe Utah. This year, San Diego State, the MWC champ, defeated Utah, 76-67, at the Huntsman Center on Jan. 11. "I do like the fact that we are going to familiar territory, Salt Lake City, where we've played very well and won this year," San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said at a press conference Sunday night.